The Top 25 Under 25 is a collaboration by members of the Die By The Blade community. It was a combination of staff writers and over 200 readers that ranked Buffalo Sabres players under the age of 25 as of August 1, 2024. Each participant used their own metric of current ability and production to rank each player. Staff votes counted equally with reader votes.
Noah Ostlund
Drafted: 2022 – 1st Round (16th Overall)
Position: Center
Born: March 11, 2004 (20 years old)
2023-24 Stats: Vaxjo HC (SweHL) – 13-12-25 in 45 GP; Rochester Americans (AHL) – 1-1-2 in 5 GP
2023 T25U25 Ranking: 16
2022 T25U25 Ranking: 20
Noah Östlund continues to slowly climb up the rankings of Buffalo Sabres prospects, landing at #14 this year. Östlund spent most of last season with the SHL’s Växjö Lakers HC, where he had 23 points in 38 regular-season games and added five points (2-3) in 12 playoff games.
He also represented Sweden at the World Juniors, winning a silver medal and notching 10 points (3-7) in seven games. When Växjö’s season ended, Östlund was reassigned to the AHL’s Rochester Americans. He made his North American debut, appearing in two regular-season games and three playoff games with the Amerks. (He had previously been with the Amerks in the 2023 postseason, but did not play.)
For Östlund to find success at the North American game, he’ll need to bulk up and prep for a different style of play than what he’s been accustomed to in Sweden. He’s likely to spend this upcoming season in Rochester, and while there will undoubtedly be a learning curve, he remains an exciting prospect for Sabres fans to watch in the future.
2024 Buffalo Sabres Top 25 Under 25
#25: Adam Kleber
#24: Tyson Kozak
#23: Maxim Štrbák
#22: Prokhor Poltapov
#21: Aleksandr Kisakov
#20: Viktor Neuchev
#19: Vsevolod Komarov
#18: Nikita Novikov
#17: Anton Wahlberg
#16 Isak Rosén
#15 Peyton Krebs